https://arab.news/jw24g
- Kubis said that all Libyans and Libyan authorities are calling for mercenaries and foreign forces to leave the country
- He said it was essential that displaced people continued to return home
NEW YORK: There is broad and strong support in Libya for holding inclusive elections on Dec. 24, which should remain a key focus for the new interim executive authority and state institutions, the UN Libya envoy said on Wednesday.
Speaking during a UN Security Council meeting, Jan Kubis said that for the polls to take place, “it is critical to have confirmed and clear legal and constitutional frameworks for the presidential and parliamentary elections.”
Kubis said that all Libyans and Libyan authorities are calling for mercenaries and foreign forces to leave the country as soon as possible.
“Their withdrawal from Libya will go a long way in reconstituting the unity and sovereignty of the country and healing the deep wounds caused by many years of internal strife, active conflict and foreign interference,” he said. “Libyans from all stripes and across the political spectrum are vehemently calling for all mercenaries and foreign forces to leave the country – a call supported by the Libyan authorities and institutions.”
He added that the 5+5 Joint Military Committee agreed to open the coastal road connecting Misrata with eastern Libya in two weeks’ time.
The reopening of the coastal road remains a critical step for the steady and sustainable implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement, Kubis said.
“While the ceasefire has resulted in a dramatic reduction of civilian casualties, United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) continues to document killings, enforced disappearances, sexual violence, including rape, arbitrary arrests and detentions, attacks against activists and human rights defenders and hate crimes. Freedom of expression is undermined,” he told the council.
He said it was essential that displaced people continued to return home but that was proving difficult due to a lack of basic services and the presence of explosive hazards, especially in southern parts of Tripoli.